Nasogastric Feeding Tube

If you can’t eat or swallow, you may need to have a nasogastric tube inserted. This process is known as nasogastric (NG) intubation. During NG intubation, your doctor or nurse will insert a thin plastic tube through your nostril, down your esophagus, and into your stomach.

Once this tube is in place, they can use it to give you food and medicine. They can also use it to remove things from your stomach, such as toxic substances or a sample of your stomach contents.

NG intubation is most commonly used for the following reasons:

• feeding
• delivering medication
• removing and evaluating stomach contents
• administering radiographic contrast for imaging studies
• decompressing blockages

It’s also used to help treat some premature infants.

Your doctor or nurse can give you food and medicine through an NG tube. They can also apply suction to it, allowing them to remove contents from your stomach.

An NG tube insertion typically occurs in either a hospital or your home. In most cases, you won’t need to take any special steps to prepare.

Right before it’s inserted, you may need to blow your nose and take a few sips of water.

To lower your risk of complications from NG intubation and feeding, your healthcare team will:

• ensure the tube is always taped securely to your face
• check the tube for signs of leakage, blockage, and kinks
• elevate your head during feedings and for an hour afterwards
• watch for signs of irritation, ulceration, and infection
• keep your nose and mouth clean
• monitor your hydration and nutrition status regularly
• check electrolyte levels through regular blood tests
• make sure drainage bag is regularly emptied, if applicable

Your healthcare provider will insert your NG tube while you’re lying down in a bed with the head elevated or sitting in a chair. Before they insert the tube, they will apply some lubrication to it and likely some numbing medication as well.

They will likely ask you to bend your head, neck, and body at various angles as they thread the tube through your nostril, down your esophagus, and into your stomach. These movements can help ease the tube into position with minimal discomfort.

They may also ask you to swallow or take small sips of water when the tube reaches your esophagus to help it slide into your stomach.

Once your NG tube is in place, your healthcare provider will take steps to check its placement. For example, they might try to draw fluid out of your stomach. Or they might insert air through the tube, while listening to your stomach with a stethoscope.

To keep your NG tube in place, your care provider will likely secure it to your face with a piece of tape. They can reposition it if it feels uncomfortable.

What are the risks associated with these services?

If your NG tube isn’t inserted properly, it can potentially injure the tissue inside your nose, sinuses, throat, esophagus, or stomach.

This is why placement of the NG tube is checked and confirmed to be in the correct location before any other action is performed.

NG tube feeding can also potentially cause:

• abdominal cramping
• abdominal swelling
• diarrhea
• nausea
• vomiting
• regurgitation of food or medicine

Your NG tube can also potentially become blocked, torn, or dislodged. This can lead to additional complications. Using an NG tube for too long can also cause ulcers or infections in your sinuses, throat, esophagus, or stomach.

What services are included?

The service includes the administration of a medicine or fluid through a needle or catheter, as per requirement, by a medical staff member.

When should I get medical home services?

If your doctor suggests you to get treatment at home or you cannot go to a healthcare center due to any reason, such as unconsciousness, weakness or disability, you may get medical services from the comfort of your home.

What are the types of home services?

The home services are of several types. The basic ones are:

• Home visits, which include emergency visits; acute or chronic
• Assessment home visits, which include a wide variety of services including comorbidities and immobilization

What are the advantages of home visit?

The advantages include:

• Increases patient knowledge and appropriate management of his condition
• Early detection and effective therapy of abnormalities
• Helps prevent negligence
• Promotes early and basic literacy

Are there any hidden charges included in the home services?

There are no hidden charges for the Infusion Therapy services. The services are provided at affordable rates by an experienced and skilled nurse who keeps all safety precautions in check for your benefit.